Valve



Nov. 18, 1941. Q PRATT 2,263,142

VALVE Filed March 4, 1940 INVENTOR C YDE 19647-7, oceaseafl v BY L/LL/AA/ M Flew-r, .Exscure/x v BY ATTORNEYS. I

ing and milling operations.

Patented Nov. 18,1941" UNITED VALVE Clyde H. Pratt, deceased, late ofBratenahl, Ohio, by Lillian M. Pratt, executrix of the Estate of said Clyde H. Pratt, deceased, Bratenahl, Ohio,

assignor to Mechanical Devices, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 4, 1940, Serial No. 322,177

2 Claims. (01. 137- 04) This invention relates to valves, and more particularly to float valves; and it has for its object to provide a device of this class that is simple, yet very effective in the attainment of its purpose, and is composed of a minimum number of parts that are capable of being manufactured at low cost and assembled easily and quickly.

To the ends of simplicity and cheapness, the major elements are so designed as to be readily made from bar stock by a few common operations performed on standard machines. The valve body, for instance, is essentially an automatic machine product made complete by simple drill- The valve member is produced by cutting it, of requiredlength, from bar stock of rectangular cross section of proper width and thickness and drilling a recess in one of its ends and transverse holes, having parallel axes, through its body portion. Practically all other elements that go to make up the complete unit are inexpensive common articles of merchandise.

While the present preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described herein in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details disclosed further than is required by the terms of the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section through a tank or pan with the valve, shown in side elevation, installed therein; Fig.2 is a central longitudinal-section through the valve 1 and its connection with the supply pipe; Figs. 3

and 4 are end elevations of the valve body and valve member, respectively, the ends shown in these views being the onesthat cooperate when the parts are assembled, and Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the parts (exclusive of the float) that go to make up the complete unit.

Metal in the form of standard bar stock of suitable cross seotionalsizes and shapes is used for both the valve body and the valve member. The valve body, designated I", is made from a length of bar stock that is square in cross section-according to the instant embodimentand, desirably by means of standard automatic equipment, as a screw machine, is turned down for a considerable portion of its length and threaded to produce a relatively long boss 2. The end of the body remote from said boss is milled out to form an annular cavity 3, centrally of which is left a raised valve seat 4 whose elevation is considerably less than the depth of the cavity 3. A bore 5 extends centrally through the body axially of the seat 4 and at its end oppositethe seat is counterbored at 6 and further enlarged and reamed where it opens through the outer end of the boss '2. A slot 'Iis milled in the bottom side of the body and opens through P the front end thereof and into the cavity 3.

The bar stock from which the valve member I0 is cut, to the required length, is rectangular in cross. section and of a width slightly less than that of the slot 1. A recess'll is made in one end ofv the valve member and into it is pressed a member registers with apertures l4 similarly made in the valve body, said apertures being substantially in the transverse vertica1 plane of the valve seat 4. A pivot member I5, desirably in the form of an ordinary cotter pin, is projected through and fits rather loosely within the aligned apertures I3 and M for pivotally connecting the valve member to the valve body for free swinging movement.

A threaded stud or screw l6 extends through a hole that is bored transversely through the end portion of the valve member remote from the recessed end thereof, and the fit of the stud or screw within said hole is preferably tight enough to firmly. hold the former against turning. Mounted upon the projecting end of the stud or screw I6 in the order named are a standardlock washer IS; the terminal eye of the stem I9 of a float 20, and a nut 2|. The nut is preferably of the wing type so that it may be readily manipulated by hand. By tightening said nut, the stem of the fioat may be clamped and looked, through the intervention of the washer l8, to the valve body in any desired adjusted position with respect thereto.

In installing the fioat valve, the boss 2 is projected through an aperture 25 in a wall of the tank or pan 26, and a nut 21 is then applied to said boss and screwed up tightly against the outer side of the wall so as to firmly clamp the valve body to said wall. A look nut (not shown) may be included, if desired, in accordance with common practice. A pipe 30, through which water or other liquid is supplied to the tank or pan 26, has its end projected into the counterbored and reamed end of the boss 2 and clamped therein through the intervention of the standard re- 'versely tapered thimble 3|, by the hollow nut 32 that is screwed onto said boss.

While the valve may be used for various purposes and in conjunction with different kinds of tanks or vessels, it is especially suitable for use with humidifier pans of air conditioning systems.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination, a valve body having a substantially central bore throughout its length and provided at one end with a cylindrical cavity and a raised valve seat centrally thereof and in concentric relation to the bore, the elevation of the seat being less than the depth of the cavity, a slot in one side of the body that opens through its end and into the cavity, a valve member of the same rectangular cross section from end to end and of a width slightly less than the width of said slot, said member being arranged with one of its ends extended into the slot and cavity and having a recess into which the valve seat projects, a pad of compressible material within said recess for engagement with the seat, the body and valve member having aligned apertures in substantially the transverse plane of the valve seat, a pivot member extending through said apertures, the end of the valve member remote from its pivotal connection with the body having a hole extending transversely therethrough, a threaded stud fitted within said hole and projecting from one side of the member, a float arm terminating in an eye encircling said stud, a look washer on the stud between the stem and member, and a nut on the stud for clamping the stem and washer to the valve member.

2. In combination, a valve body having a substantially central bore throughout its length and provided at one end with a cylindrical cavity and a raised valve seat centrally thereof and in concentric relation to the bore, the elevation of the seat being less than the depth of the cavity, a slot in one side of the body that opens through its end and into the cavity, a valve member of the same rectangular cross section from end to end and of a width slightly less than the width of said slot, said member being arranged with one of its ends extended into the slot and cavity and having a recess into which the valve seat projects, a pad of compressible material within said recess for engagement with the seat, the body and valve member having aligned apertures in substantially the transverse plane of the valve seat, a pivot member extending through said apertures, the end of the Valve member remote from its pivotal connection with the body having a hole extending transversely therethrough, a threaded stud extending through said hole, a float arm sustained by the stud and adjustable on the axis thereof with respect to the valve member, and means comprising a nut applied to the stud for holding the parts in any relation to which they are adjusted.

LILLIAN M. PRATT,

Executria: of the Estate of said Clyde H. Pratt,

Deceased. 

